The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-03-12
TINES HAVE CHANGED.
The Days When Mrs. Mackay Kept a
BoardingH House in Virginia City.
Ern,r tk,o . I1.n.Ia Il

The Days When Mrs. Mackay Kept IA
Boarding-House in Virginia City.
From the St. Louis Republican.
"This is indeed peculiar world" {"
said mining expert at the Planters g
House yesterday. "Hsre / pick up
the papers and read of Mrs. Mackay's
doings in Paris-how she receives the
scions OF oyalty, how she entertains,
how she appears at the opera, how
she dresses and how she does thou
sand other things, and then / can
scarcely conceive that eighteen years
ago she kept a clearinghouse IN Vir-
ginia City, and that was one of her
boarde!s. Yet it is true, ana | often
ponder over it. She was young wild
ow then, with an interesting child,
who has since matured into young
lady and was recently married to an
Italian prince OF some kind. The lit
tie girl has often sat on my knee with
O. little tin can in her hand which con-
tanned the contributions OF her ad.
mirers. In those days we lived princi-
pally on canned food, and Mrs. Mack
ay's backyard was paved with tin
cans. The child had selected q very
pretty can which one of the boarders
transformed into q little bank. This
was partly filled with coin, the result
OF tribute which she levied on her
friends. She would climb on the board.
ers' knees, and shaking her little bank
would say: is you lucky to-day p
This had the desired effect, aid the
bank receipts were increased. Even
in her days OF distress Mrs. Mackay
was a good woman. She personally
superintended affairs, and made her
boarders as comfortable as possible.
| was then q superintendent under
Far, and Mackay was already g.
millionaire. Mining stock was the
rage then, and remember often how
she would come to me and some OF
the other boarders and ask our adj
vice about certain stocks, and | am
happy to say taat the advice | gave
her was good, and if | had taken it
myself l would now be $5,OO0,OOO or
$G,OOO,OO0 better off than / am
now.
"Then, ,MacKay took & shine to the
widow, and being reputed one OF the
wealthiest men in the camp, he found
smooth sailing. He couldn't win on
his shape nor his beauty, for every
body that has seen Mackay knows
that he wouldn't take prizein con-
gress OF beauty. They were married,
and the little girl no longer sat on
miners knees, aud mammals delicate
hand no longer placed corn-beef and
cabbage on miners plates. They rose
faster than Sheridan stock did last
summer, the only difference being that
their rise was backed by hard coin.
The great Comstock lode continued to
pour forth its richness, and Mack
ay and his partner became
immensely wealthy. Although reared
in poor circumstances, Mrs.
Mackay showed her good sense
by securing g. private tutor, by
whom she was drilled and educated
for five years. The little daughter
was put through the same course and
fitted to shine in the most cultured So
ciety of the old world. Then came
the conquests in New York, San Fran
cisco, and finally the trips to Europe
A year ago | was in Paris, and one
evening attended performance at
the Grand Opera House. 1t was q
HFSI HlSUU, Auu prOmlHoHUl III D. private
box were two ladies, bedecked with
diamonds and festooned with flowers.
They were the cynosure OF all eyes,
and ieveling my glasses l discovered
behind the silks, flowers and diamo onds
the face OF my former landlady in
Virginia City. The outlines were the
same, but time had wrought It's chan
changes. Theyoung lady with her was
the little girl who used to play on my
knee. She had grown out OF my recol-
;ection. AS | stood looking at them
midst the flashing lights, the incense
OF flowers, and the delicious music !
could not help recalling something
OF:
''Some one who breasted high water,
Swan the North fork and all that,
Just to dance with old Follsnsbees daughter,
The lily of Poverty Flat"